Running Out of Time
by Jhonnies
Summary: A jumper that is a main suspect in her mother's murder drives a wedge between Woody and Eddie. Contains Slash.


Running out of Time

Author Notes

This is set during the events on season 01 episode 21 (Someone to Count On).

This is the second part of the new trilogy set in the 'Love in the Boston PD' series.

Disclaimer: I do **not **own Crossing Jordan or any of the characters. (If I did Winslow wouldn't have ever left).

* * *

Story

"Ugh, what is with this line, people? We only have 45 minutes for lunch."

Woody was complaining once again. It's cute.

And oh my God, the pouting.

"Believe me; it will be worth every minute of the wait."

"It better be; I'm almost eating my tie. I have a very fast metabolism, you know?"

"It's the best chimichangas in Boston, Wood."

"For all I know, they're the only chimichangas in Boston. Chimichangas." – He overpronounced the s in chimichangas, like a snake would. – "What exactly is a chimichangas? It doesn't sound like something I really want to put in my mouth."

"Come on, live a little."

"I'm a very fussy eater."

"I hadn't noticed." - We snickered but were cut short by dispatch telling us we had a jumper two blocks from where we were. – "Let's go."

* * *

The super was this bald Greek guy, but he was helpful. He took us to the apartment and told us about the jumper:

"Name's Keisha Morton. She and her mom have been living here for about 10 years."

"Where's the mom?"

"Probably at work, she's a secretary at a local high school."

He opened the door to apt 416. Woody went before me and because of that was the first on the fire escape, so he could talk to the girl walking on the ledge.

"Keisha? Hi, I'm Detective Woody Hoyt. Boston PD."

"Leave me alone."

"I can't do that because I'm here to make sure you don't hurt yourself."

"Look, I'm not talking to a cop, so go away!"

He looked at me, unsure what to do next. I motioned for him to come inside again.

"Eddie, she said she wasn't going to talk with any cop."

"It's my turn to try, Woody."

He nodded and I climbed to the fire escape.

"I'm Eddie Winslow. I'm Woody's lover. Look, why don't you come in and we can talk about this?"

"I can't. I don't wanna see her."

Fuck.

"What does she mean, Eddie?"

"Her mother probably didn't show up to work today."

"Why?"

"Because she's dead inside this apartment. Find her and call Jordan."

"She's in the kitchen." – Keisha's voice broke halfway through the sentence.

"Listen, whatever happened, don't do anything crazy."

"I ain't going to juvie. Whatever happens I'm not going back there.

"We can deal with that later. Right now, you listen to me." – She looked at me in disbelief. – "See all those people down there on the street? They are all hanging around to see you fall. You're nothing but a distraction for them. Do you really want to give these creeps what they want?"

I could hear Jordan chuckle inside the apartment.

"It's better than juvie."

"You know what? You wanna jump, be my guest. Have your bones shatter from impact and become paraplegic for the rest of your life, see if I care."

"I'm not talking to you anymore."

"Doesn't mean you don't have to listen. Can you hurry up, though? I haven't gotten my lunch yet."

"Shut up! I'll do it, I swear."

"No, you won't. If you really wanted to, you've jumped already. Come back inside and I'll make sure the police hear to what you have to say."

I went to a window closer to her and offered her my hand.

She got back inside the apartment, red cheeks stained with tears.

* * *

Keisha got a public defendant because she was arrested for the murder of her mother.

I don't think she did it.

Problem was the door was locked from the inside.

So she, her lawyer and Woody were in the interrogation room. I was behind the one-way mirror so she wouldn't feel betrayed by me. Not that I lied to her, I just didn't tell her whole truth.

"I told you. I said goodnight and went to bed. When I woke up, I found her that way. That's all!"

"My client isn't answering any more questions." – The defendant got all of his files back into his briefcase. – "Call me if you need me otherwise I'll see you at the arraignment. Now if you excuse me, I got 11 other cases in my book today."

Prick.

Woody said for the uniform in the room to cuff her, but he also warned him to be careful or else.

He's learning from me.

My detective came behind the mirror, with a sorry look on his face.

"I think she did it, Eddie. The door was locked and there were two people in that place. Now one of them is dead."

"Have you ever read 'Murders in Rue Morgue'?"

"No."

"You should."

"Uhm, okay." – I could see he was trying to cheer me up. – "Keisha's mother had a boyfriend, and witnesses put him going inside the apartment at 9 o'clock last night."

"Let's go, Cowboy."

* * *

The boyfriend was an old pharmacist. We went by his workplace, and with it being deserted, he had time for us.

"I met Teresa through work. She would come in every month or so to pick Keisha's Buzebarb."

"It's like Prozac, only it targets people with aggressive tendencies."

I've had to take it after that whole deal with Internal Affairs and Max.

"So Keisha had problems controlling her temper."

"Teresa didn't like giving her medication but without it she felt Keisha might hurt herself or someone else."

I was able to hold back the flinch his information caused. I really believe she didn't do it.

"You saw Teresa last night, right?" – I was fighting to make sure my tone of voice wasn't angry.

"My shift starts at ten on Tuesdays, I decided to drop in a little earlier and man, I walked into a hornet's nest."

"Meaning what?"

"The two of them were going at it. I mean physical, at one point I had to step between them." – He rolled up his left shirt sleeve to show us nail marks. – "It's how I got these."

She seems guiltier by the minute.

"And what was the fight about?"

"Well, Keisha's all into track. Good enough to get a scholarship to Jesuit. They were willing to overlook her temper, give her a chance to get out of Rocksberry."

Woody was getting more confused by the second.

"Then what was the problem?"

"Teresa didn't want her to go."

Because Keisha was all she had.

* * *

I went down to the morgue without my partner because I was about to do the most humiliating thing I'd ever done.

Ask Jordan for help.

"Please tell me you found something. Anything to prove that that girl didn't kill her mother."

"Are you seriously asking for my help?"

"Cavanaugh, I swear I will kill you."

"Nope. Nothing so far, I mean her larynx wasn't broken, her hyoid wasn't either. Doesn't really support the explanation for suffocation but that's it."

"Fuck."

"If it helps, I don't think she did it either."

"Thanks."

At that moment, Bug approached us (More like approached Jordan, while keeping a safe distance from me).

"I have your victim's tox results back."

"And?" – Jordan and I answered him together.

"Creepy. Okay, it looks like she was pregnant. High levels of prenatal vitamins and antihistamines in her system. Nothing interesting there, but I'm waiting to get the results on the fetal test back."

Nigel walked over to our group.

"Jordan, Sheriff, Bug."

"Have you got it?"

It was weird to see a small guy like Bug order a tall guy like Nige around.

"Kiss first." – The glare he received didn't faze him the least. The smaller man huffed but got on the tip of his feet so he could reach his husband's lips. Cute. – "Your kid's positive for beta-thalassemia."

Jordan's face broke into a smile.

"Wait, how does a disease help us?"

She ran to wherever.

I pinched my nose bridge and went to follow her in a very slower pace. In passing the break room I noticed that my detective was at her door, so I decided to eavesdrop.

"Uh, have you seen Doctor Cavanaugh?"

I had to move a little so I could see that he was talking to Lily.

"She's scheduled for an autopsy at three."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Hey." – She left her spot by the window to walk up to my partner. – "You're Detective Hoyt, right?"

"Yeah, Woody."

"Woody. I'm going to ask you a very forward question. Please don't take this the wrong way."

"Alright."

She took a couple of steps away from him.

"Look at me. Size me up. Undress me with your eyes. Do whatever it is you men do. Would you have sex with me?"

Okay, so she and Macy fought.

And she decided to come on to my lover. I'm going to calm myself and not kill that woman.

"I'm from Wisconsin."

That was possibly the most awkward answer possible.

"Exactly. You are a regular guy. And you're certainly above average looking."

Okay, that's it.

I was on the warpath. Everyone steered clear of me.

"Excuse me." – I growled. – "You asked him a very forward question, so here's a very forward answer." – I glared at her with more anger than I show some killers. – "Woody wouldn't have sex with you because he's a very right man, who believes that cheating is wrong. And unless you want to end up on one of the drawers in this morgue, you'll stop asking this kind of questions of him and patch up things with Macy instead. Do we understand each other?" – She nodded slowly. – "Good. You're dismissed."

She ran and barricaded herself in Macy's office.

"Eddie, that wasn't nice."

"Her trying to seduce you wasn't either."

Jordan just happened to pass our way.

"Where the hell did you go?"

"What the hell you told Lily?"

"I asked first."

"I was double checking Nige's findings, you?"

"Making sure Macy and Lily get back together, is all."

"Really?"

"Guys?" – We focused on Woody. – "Keisha Morton is gone. It's what I came here to say. She went down the laundry chute and outran two guards."

"Well, she did get a scholarship because of her track running."

"Any idea where'd she go?"

"No. I got a dozen patrol cars looking for her, so far nothing. The DA is having my ass for dinner."

"No, he isn't. It's mine."

The M.E. chuckled.

"Well, at least you have a new suspect."

"Who?"

"Well, Teresa was pregnant and her baby was positive for beta-thalassemia. It's a disease more common in people with Mediterranean descent."

"That boyfriend didn't exactly look Italian to me."

"Woody." – He turned to face me. – "Who opened the door for us?"

"The Greek guy. Okay, I'll bring him up for questioning tomorrow." – He brought his hand up to cup my cheek. – "Go home; you're asleep on your feet."

"Okay." – We kissed. – "I should make you the chief investigator more times; you're too good to me."

* * *

I was almost sleeping when I heard my doorbell.

"Woody, did you forget your keys again?" – I looked through the peephole and unlocked the door. – "Keisha."

"Can I come in or what?" - I moved out of her way and into the kitchen after she got in and I locked the door. – "Thanks."

"How did you find me?"

"Went to two others E. Winslows in the phone book. You were number three."

"I'm going to have to send you back in the morning."

"You think I don't know that?"

"I had a talk with your mom's boyfriend; he said you and your mom had a really big fight last night."

"So? We fight all the time."

"This must've been different."

"When she told me I couldn't go to Jesuit" – I gave her a cup of hot chocolate I'd made. – "I got so mad I went off for a run. When I got back, the front door was locked. Mister Theo let me in."

"Where was your mom?"

"Asleep in front of the TV, but still alive I swear."

"Why didn't you tell the cops what you just told me?"

"I don't know." – She sounded defeated. Not ready to give up, but like she lost the reason she fought for. – "They got this huge track at Jesuit; it's like Olympic standard or something. What I wouldn't give to run it, just once."

* * *

I was so stupid.

I woke up and she was gone.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

She left a note that said 'Sorry', but that was it.

I told Woody what happened and he completely freaked, I'd never seen him so angry before. His last words to me before storming off were 'I can't believe you put me in this position! Here I trusted you and loved you.'

* * *

I had to redeem myself.

Not for me, for Woody.

He loved (loves?) me and I blew it. I had to make things right.

Keisha was easy to find, at Jesuit's track.

"How did you know where I was?"

"A stubborn girl like you? I knew you had to run here at least once before leaving town."

"I needed to see what it felt like."

"You know I'm taking you back, right?"

"I'm just gonna run away again."

"Look, we all make some bad decisions. You learn from your mistakes, believe me."

"Is this the part you tell me that I can't run forever?"

"No. You already know that. The way I see, you got two choices. You run in circles for the rest of your life or you come with me willingly."

She huffed. But let herself be cuffed all the same.

I took her to the precinct; Woody saw and walked towards us.

"No sweat, right?"

"No sweat, kid. I'll be back later."

"Why? Gonna bring a cake with a file in it?"

That's it, Woody! No more Mister Nice Guy!

I grabbed him by his shoulder and pushed him against the nearest wall. He hadn't expected it. His eyes were huge.

"You won't treat me like that anymore."

"Why?" – He was defying me.

I could sense that the entire precinct had stopped to see what I would do. Even the chatter between the accused stopped.

"Because I won't let you get away with it." – I put my hand on the wall behind him, effectively trapping him. – "Even if I do love you."

I kissed him until his knees buckled, and then I left for the morgue.

* * *

"I may have jeopardized my job as well as my relationship with Woody, please tell me you have good news for me Jordan."

"Self-asphyxiation."

"You mean?"

"Teresa Morton had a grand mal seizure. The bruising was the line of impact. She had long standing damage to her cerebellum."

"I love you. Wait a second. Wouldn't she buy meds to prevent seizures? She only took prenatal vitamins."

"And antihistamines."

"Just because you say in that definitive tone doesn't mean I know why."

"They've been known to trigger seizures."

"Ah. We have to get into that house."

"ASAP."

* * *

Woody was sitting in his desk with my jacket around him when we – Jordan and me – entered the room.

"We found these in Teresa's medicine cabinet." – Jordan gave him the evidence she was holding while she talked.

"So?"

"It's her seizure medication, she was epileptic." – He looked at me. – "Problem is those are allergy pills."

"I got a C in chemistry, my lunch is getting cold and the Chief of Police has been calling here, can we get to the point?"

"They cause seizures."

"So, you two are saying Keisha switched her mom's pills?"

"Woody. She wouldn't know about the side effects."

"But a pharmacist would." – He smiled at me and I was… too far gone not to kiss him right there and then. – "On the way back we're getting some of those chimichangas things but you're buying!"

* * *

The two of us made our way to where Teresa's boyfriend worked.

"Excuse me; can we have a moment of your time?"

"I'm kinda busy right now. I'm minding the store, you wanna come back?"

"We really need to talk right now."

"Alright. So, did you find Keisha yet?"

Woody answered him.

"Yeah, she's fine."

No thanks to you.

"Oh, thank heaven; I was really worried about that girl."

"You realize that if she's charged with murder she'll be tried as an adult."

"That means life without parole."

"Well, I know Keisha has a temper but… She wouldn't kill nobody."

"She said the same thing about you. That you treated her and her mother with respect."

"Those two meant everything to me."

"So how could you leave her holding the bag for her own mother's murder?"

"Pardon?"

Time for me to be my brand of 'nice'. By which I mean completely evil.

"You swapped her seizure meds with allergy pills, knowing full well what they would do. Records show you filled the prescriptions."

The guilty party inhaled deeply.

"I loved her."

"But then you find out the baby wasn't yours."

"Everything would've been just fine, if she was only faithful. All she had to be was faithful."

"Chris Holden, you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used in a court of law."

While Woody mirandized him, he said that she did not deserve to live. He also grabbed his coat and headed for the front door. I was right behind him.

A couple of uniforms entered the store to make sure he wouldn't flee and he freaked.

He yelled he couldn't go to jail and whipped out a gun from under his coat. When he aimed it at Woody, I saw red. A punch to his arm sent it flying across the store.

He looked at me with worried eyes and I kept going.

"You" – Punch to the face. – "Do not" – Punch to the stomach. – "Threaten" – Punch to the chest. – "The man I love!" – Punch to the face.

Woody had to pull me off of the killer.

He was hurt but he would live.

My partner wouldn't let me go. I found that I couldn't let him go either.

* * *

At the precinct he patched up my bloody hands and we waited for Keisha's aunt to come pick her up.

"I'm sorry, you know."

"I do, Wood. I'm sorry too." – He kissed my bruised knuckles. – "Hey, what did the Chief say?"

"That he liked you and as long as we kept it out of the precinct we wouldn't have a problem."

"Good."

"Oh, and I read Rue Morgue. It was very weird. But good."

"You didn't expect the killer to be that exotic, did you?"

"Nope."

"If you want I can read the continuation for you."

"Is that a code for sex?"

"It can be."

"Sure. If you also read it to me. You know. After."

"I'd like that."


End file.
